Banana-shipping case.



Patented Septv. 3'0, |902.

v.H. BITNEB.. ,BANANA SHIPPING CASE.

(Appliatidn led Jan. 18, 1.902.)

(No Modek) 1 Flew.- www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY BITNER, OF BERWYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOv FRANK SCHMITZ, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BANANA-SHIPPING CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 710,036, datedSeptember 30, 1902.

Application filed January 18, 1902. Serial No. 90,257. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it nfl/ay concern:

Be it known that LHARRY BITNER,a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Berwyn, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBananaShipping Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in banana-shipping casesdesigned forthe purpose of combining with a flexible sack a rigid cratesecured to the same and out of contact therewith and made up of portionsadapted when properly adjusted to collapse and reduce the longitudinalextent of the crate.

To such end it consists in certain novel features of construction, whichwill be fully described and claimed below.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete crate;Fig. 2, a portion of a longitudinal diametrical section, and Fig. 3 aside elevation of the case in its collapsed condition.

Referring to the drawings, A is a flexible bag; B B' B2 B3, a series ofencircling hoops, to certain of which the bag is secured by cords C at asulicient distance therefrom to afford the necessary'protection, and Drepresents a series of longtiudinal braces made up of parts d el' d3d4,pivoted to each other and to the hoops, respectively. The intermediateportions cl d3 are pivoted between their ends to the hoops B' B2 and arepivoted to each other at one end, and to their opposite ends arepivoted, respectively, the end portions d d4, said end portions beingpivoted at their other ends to the hoops B B3. Slides E, adjacent to thejoints in the hoops, provide means whereby said joints may be made rigidby moving the slides over the pivoted portions. Fig. l shows theextended condition of the case, in which it is adapted for the receptionof a bunch of bananas; and Fig. 3 illustrates the collapsed condition,in which it is best adapted when empty for transportation or Storing.

To change the case from one to the other, it is necessary only to movethe slides E sufficiently to either permit or prevent, as the case maybe, the angular motion of the portions 5o of the braces with respect toeach other.

I claim as new and desire to'secure by Letters Patent- `l. In abanana-shipping case, the combination with a flexible sack, of a cratesurround- 5 5 ing the same and secured thereto, out of contacttherewith, said crate being made up of a series of encircling hoops anda series of longitudinal braces divided into portions pivoted togetherand to the hoops and provided 6o with adjustable means for locking thejoints against angular movement to prevent the collapse of the case;substantially as described.

2. The combination with the flexible sack,A,ofanencirclingsupporting-cratesurrounding the same and securedthereto, out of contact therewith, said crate being made up of a seriesof encircling hoops, B, B,B3, and the braces, D, composed ofintermediate portions,

d', d3, pivoted between their ends, to the in- 7o termediate hoops andat one end to each other, and end portions, d, d4,"pivoted at one end totheadjacent ends of the intermediate portions and at the other end tothe end hoops, said braces being provided with the slides,"E, tolock thejoints against movement; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, this 15th day of January, 8o A. D.1902.

HARRY BITNER.

Witnesses:

CHAs. O. SHERVEY, S. BLISS.

